Saddle.



-A. BERNSTEIN.

SADDLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1910.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

tnveion.

A 1.! IA gal/31191 COLUMBIA PLANOdRAPH C0 WASHINGTON. D. c

ABRAHAM BERNSTEIN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SADDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dc, 12, 1911.

Application filed August 3, 1910. Serial No. 575,358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM BERNSTEIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Saddle, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a saddle, which, by reason of its adjustability,provides ready adaptability without irritation to the conformation ofany horses back, together with a high degree of durability.

In the saddles now in use, even where a perfect fit is had in the firstinstance, there is a tendency for the saddle tree when in use, tospread, and the saddle will thus bear down on the horses spine and ribs,causing irritation and sores. An additional cause of irritation in theold saddles is the attachment of the check rein hook, or the seat, orboth, to the saddle tree by means of a bolt or bolts, which, extendingdownward, through the tree, bear on the horses back with the resultsindicated. These several evils are remedied by the novel features of myadjustable saddle, which m ay be fitted to any horses back, andperfeotness of fit retained by subsequent readjustments, if necessary,so that there will be no bearing of the saddle upon either spine orribs, the bearing being, by means of comparatively short pads, only uponthe fleshy parts between the spine and ribs. In saddles of the oldstyles, too, any jarring or pressure on the shafts, as when a personmounts thereon, is communicated to the saddle, and this accentuates thefriction on the tender portions of the horses back where the saddle isnot properly adjusted. In my new saddle this jarring and pressure isplaced, by the adjustability of the saddle, only upon such parts as arebest able to stand the same.

My invention has for its object the accomplishment of the severalresults above indicated, viz: the removal of friction and pressure fromthe vital or tender parts, and the removal of the tendency towardsoreness, resulting from such friction.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my new adjustable saddle,without the shaft tug, the saddle being open at the angle shown in Fig.2, before adjustment to the back, Fig. 2 is a section of the same on theline aa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the adjusting portion of thesaddle tree. Fig. 4 is a section of the adjusting portion of the saddletree. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the saddle seat and connections.

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate respectively the two leaves of myadjustable sad dle tree. The said leaf 1 has knuckles 3 and 4, and saidleaf 2 has cooperating knuckles 5 and '6 through which the said leavesare secured together by the pintle 7, on which pintle said leaves turnas a hinge. The contacting surfaces of each of the pairs of knuckleshave interlocking teeth, by means of which the leaves of my saddle treeare locked into position after any suitable adjustment. The pintle 7passes loosely through the knuckles 6, 4 and 5, and is screw threadedinto the knuckle 3, as shown in Fig. 4. Said pintle has a collar 8,which bears on the knuckle 5 for the purpose of forcing the teeth ofsaid knuckle into engagement with the teeth of knuckle 3, when thepintle is screwed tight by means of the slotted head 9, afteradjustment. A look nut 10 is screwed onto the pintle ,7 afteradjustment, to keep said pintle from working oose.

My adjustable saddle tree is covered and padded in the usual manner,with the exception that the under-pads 11 and 12 are comparativelyshort, and are shaped so that the saddle, when properly adjusted, willbe lifted by the bearing of said pads on the fleshy parts of the back,slightly above the spine.

The saddle seat 13, carrying on its front end the check rein hook 14,and on its rear end the breeching loop 15, is made of brass or othersuitable material, and. is slightly concaved on its under side to fitneatly over the hinging of the leaves and the ends of the leathercovering. Said seat has at its front end a depending loop 16, shown insect-ion in Figs. 3 and 4, which fits over the end of the pintle 7between the knuckle 3 and the lock nut 10, thus securely fastening thefront end of the saddle seat and the check rein hook. The opposite endof said seat is secured by means of an eye 17 fitted about the pintle 7between the knuckle 6 and the head 9; said eye carries a threaded bolt,which extends upwardly through a hole in the seat; said seat beingthereto adjustably secured by a nut 18, as shown in Fig. 1, on saidbolt. Thus, by the tightening of the nut 18 the saddle seat 13 istightened downward, and the ends of the leather covering of the saddletree are fixedly secured by said seat; and any loosening of the parts,occasioned by the exigencies of use, may be readily provided for byreadjustment through the nut 18.

The back band loops 19 are mounted in the sockets 20, said sockets beingsecured to the leaves of the saddle tree by the bolts of the saddlerings 21 and side bolts 2:2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each ofsaid loops 19 has a plunger 23 which eX- tends into one of said sockets.About said plunger, and between a nut threaded on the end thereof andthe front wall of the socket, is a spring 24:, giving elasticity and therequisite tension to said loop, from which the shaft tug may besuspended. A plate 26 is interposed between said socket and the leathercovering of the tree to prevent the movements of the plunger fromwearing on said leather.

From the foregoing description the several novel features of myinvent-ion and the uses thereof will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A saddle comprising a saddle tree having a plurality of leaves and apintle, said leaves being rotatably mounted on said pintle, a saddleseat, one end of said saddle seat being adapted to engage said pintleoutside the mountings of said leaves thereon, and means adjustably tosecure said saddle seat to said pintle.

2. A saddlecomprising a saddle tree having a plurality of leaves and apintle, said leaves being rotatably mounted on said pintle, a saddleseat, said saddle seat having a check rein hook at one end thereof,

said hook having a depending loop adapted to engage said pintle outsidethe mountings of said leaves thereon, and means adjustably to secure theother end of said saddle seat to said pintle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day ofAugust, 1910.

ABRAHAM BERNSTEIN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. HOFFMAN, ARTHUR H. EWALD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

